In the operation of a race track, it has been common practice to make timing records of the various vehicles as they pass through the finish line after each lap. It has also been recognized that making a timing record of a particular vehicle at various other portions of the track is helpful in many ways. In order to do this in the past it has been necessary to station a large number of personnel around the track to make a record of the time at the various stations. Not only is this expensive, but, when more than one vehicle is moving around the track, there is certainly difficulty in identifying the particular vehicle that is being timed. Automated systems using light beams and centralized timing have been in place in a few private test facilities, such as the Ferrari test track in Fiorano, Italy, but such sites are not available to the average racer. Furthermore, this arrangement is set up only for a single vehicle moving around the track at a given time. Such a system cannot be used, therefore, when a plurality of vehicles are present on the track, as would be true during preliminary testing of a motor vehicle. After all, in the test period before a race, it is not possible for a single racer and his vehicle to be alone on the track, because this would prevent other racers from testing their vehicles and the track itself. These and other difficulties experienced in the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a timing system for the timing of a vehicle at several points in a circuit when other vehicles are also present.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a timing system which is portable and is automated, so that the system, when deployed, will provide segment times to many competitors simultaneously.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a timing system which combines existing radio frequency gear and micro-computers in an integrated system to monitor a car's progress over a race course in real time.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a timing system which can be packaged in a trailer/motor home unit that can travel to numerous events and provide a timing service to any and all entrants before a race.
It is another object of the invention to provide "flag" signals to all drivers in a race, even though the flagman cannot be seen from all positions on the track or is otherwise occupied.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a timing system which will not only give readouts on an individual vehicle's performance to a person carrying a mobile receiving unit in a remote location, but also can be transmitted to a mobile receiver in the given vehicle, while providing message capability from the vehicle's own pit to the vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a timing system which is simple in construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a timing system which provides a racing competitor with sufficient data to help pinpoint operating habits that need improvement.